Sunday, November 6, 2016

I've decided what I'm going to do on Tuesday. I'm not looking for a debate. I'm simply sharing my opinion on my blog. For those of you who know me and respect me I hope that you read and consider this point of view. I'm done with the old adage of never talking publicly about Religion or Politics. We need to.

Look at that crowd! Remember that hope?

During the primaries I felt an urgency for change and an optimism in Bernie. I had some hope. I had some hope that I wasn't the only one who can't stand seeing other people suffer and hurt. I had some hope that strong values, solid ethics and a spirit of independence was at the core of being an American. I had some hope that the golden rule, "Do unto others as you would have done unto you" was still the gold standard for how to live your life, no matter what religion you follow. It seemed like we finally found a leader that would fight hard for those same principles. A man who had been fighting that fight his entire career. Bernie. And it gave me huge hope to see America responding to his message.

His defeat as the Democratic candidate was and is disheartening. If I simply rely on my instincts, it seemed obvious that there was an event that immediately changed his direction and forced him to endorse Hillary. Something just doesn't make sense. And today new emails released show that he was "leveraged" to endorse Hillary. Either way, it left a serious void and a lot of concern in the heart of this supporter. I'm inspired by his sincerity and his genuine concern for fellow man. I can't imagine anyone else as President now.

These last two weeks leading up to the election have been terrible. I cannot vote for either one. I've spent much more time thinking about my vote than in any other election. I remember in 2008 feeling excited about Obama and his message. It felt important to vote. But it didn't have the same urgency that it does now. We have more information now. The question of voting for the lesser of two evils just doesn't make sense. You are still voting for evil. That's not how this is supposed to work. I also have serious concerns with both Stein and Johnson, but I'll take either over the Red and Blue choices.

We've pulled back the curtain on the all mighty Oz. We've been happily singing along in Munchkin land while our freedoms and rights were being stripped away under our noses. We've allowed ourselves to forget what we know to be true. Truth has been replaced by fear. And we've somehow become blind to our captures motives, even though they are repetitive and obvious. The question that most people are asking right now, "Who will be the lesser evil, HRC or DT?", is born completely out of fear. Voting for one just because you fear the other makes no sense. There on the same side. We should be voting on who we want as leaders, not who will think will have the most hesitation before they push the Nuclear War button. "Don't throw away your vote, you'll be the reason that XXXX wins!!" Scream both sides. Yet all of us in the middle, who still have a shred of common sense, are sitting here going WTF?? How can we possibly be in this situation? It doesn't matter how we got here. It's what we have to do about it from here. We're at a tipping point, so it's very important that were paying attention.

If you have your eyes even half open it's not to much of a stretch to believe that most of this election is completely out of our control. It's a rigged show. It doesn't matter who you vote for. Just follow the money backwards. My prediction is that Hillary Clinton will "easily" win in a landslide. The fact that I have fear of sharing my honest opinion tells me that it's time to give serious contemplation about the country we currently live in.

So I'm going to be an American in the most true spirit that I know. I'm voting for who I want to be the next President of our country. I'm writing in Bernie. And no, I'm not wasting my vote, I'm exercising my right as an American to voice my opinion. That's what it means to be an American at its core.

I want to see his name splashed all over corporate media, no matter how hard they try to manipulate it. I want to send a message to the greedy fucks who control this country. We see whats going on. We are sick of our Earth and wallets being raped. We will no longer send our children off to die in your useless wars. Your killing our race in the name of money. There is no more time left. A lot of us feel it. Think of how huge the crowds were at Bernies conventions. We have real power. Don't give up now. Don't let evil win. There is no lessor evil, it's the same. Please follow your heart, not your fear. Don't hate hate, love love. Please...

Sunday, August 14, 2016

So it's been almost a year since my last post! I've thought many times about putting things up, but I've really been preoccupied with being in the woods. I'm not "training" anymore. I've decided that I don't need that kind of pressure in my life and it takes away from my enjoyment of being outside. My new goal is to get outside every day for at least a few hours. It's keeping me in shape my mind calm.

Yesterday, in preparation for a three day bikepacking trip, I decided to ride my first century (100 miles). I picked the Northern Rail Trail to ride, as I wanted to be as far away from cars as possible. I also had never seen the trail and was curious. I loaded up my Cannondale Slate 105 and ended up starting later than I wanted, at 10:15. I didn't care though. I had zero time restrictions and enough gear to bivy overnight if I had too. My goal was to ride 100 miles, for the first time. I was determined to go slow, see the sights, and stop whenever I felt like it. Here is my day in pictures.

Official Start time, 10:15

Coopers Cycle Supply in Franklin. When I started NPD I bought a bunch of stuff here. Love this place.

Pully Cart left from Railroad Days.

One of the many small bridges.

And one of the larger ones.

New England Covered Bridge.

Some tracks are still there.

Made me think of my brother Barry, who is a huge train fan.

There was zero pavement.

Lunch at the Danbury Country Store. Whoopee Pie and a Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar drink.

It's a very peaceful trail.

After a torrential downpour the trail was waterlogged for about an hour.

There is almost zero elevation on this trail. It feels flat as a pancake.

Artsy shot.

The tunnels were a bit hard to see in, but were fun.

I swear you can't make this stuff up. I'll just leave that there.

Parking for lunch. This is the "Old Tray Factory" from the 1700's.

I had no idea it was going to be this scenic.

Feels like being in the Whites.

Tunnel shot.

The Slate was built for this type of road.

Just more pretty scenery.

Stopped back at the store on the way back. I had to eat a LOT to keep my energy up. More than running. The rear rack is from Portland Design Works. Check it out.

About Me

My name is Nathan Sanel and I own National Powersports Distributors. I have a wonderful family with my wife Amy and my two children. Outside of my family, my life is full of passion for motorcycles, business, and long distance running.